Work

A comparative life cycle assessment of tyre recycling using pyrolysis compared to conventional end-of-life pathways

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: End-of-life tyres (ELTs) are difficult to recycle due to their complex composition. Although there are several possible pathways to manage ELTs, in Germany roughly 50 % of the ELTs are still incinerated. One emerging technology that promises recycling of ELTs is the thermochemical processing through pyrolysis. This technology enables to recover carbon black and pyrolysis oil that can be reused for new tyres. Therefore, this study presents a comprehensive life cycle assessment to compare the environmental impacts from pyrolysis of ELTs against current dominant alternative end-of-life treatment pathways. The investigated alternative end-of-life pathways are (i) incineration in a cement plant, (ii) incineration in a dedicated incineration plant, and (iii) production of infills for artificial turfs. The results show that the recycling of ELTs for material recovery has lower environmental impacts in the categories global warming, particulate matter and resource use compared to end-of-life pathways that target energy recovery.

Source: Resources Conservation and Recycling

DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2023.107255

Authors: Daniel Maga, Venkat Aryan, Jan Blömer

Institution: Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT

Language: English

Topic: Municipal Solid Waste Management

Subfield: Waste Management and Disposal

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Responsible consumption and production, Climate action, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,350